Method of and apparatus for working articles



F. W. COLBECK ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING ARTICLES July 17, 1928.

Filed April 20, 1925 v 2 Sheets-Sheet F. W. COLBECK ET AL IETHOD- OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING ARTICLES Filed April 20. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L I K c 2 5 C "m W W m 8 fi 2 1 n,

m, j H m,. U MM 0 m 6 W Patented July 17, 3928.

UNITED STATES PATENT our-ice.

FREDERICK WI LLIAM COLBECK AND SIGUBD THRONSEN; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS- SIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.-

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING.- AB'TEGErEfi.

Application filed April 20, 1925. Serial No.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for working articles, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for drilling and lapping diamond dies for use in Wire drawing operations, and has for its primary objects the provision of an improved method of and apparatus for rapidly and efiiciently working articles.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, in one embodiment thereof, an abrasive mixture which may be alcohol and diamond dust, is automatically supplied to and withdrawn from rapidly and oppositely rotating diamond and tool at predetermined frequent intervals. The withdrawn abrasive is mixed with a supply thereof within a receptacle sealed by a diaphragm, the diaphragm being actuated at intervals of equal duration, for controlling the supplying and withdrawing of the abrasive mixture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof in an apparatus by which the method may be practiced, and in which Fig. l is a fragmentary front vie partly in section of a combined centering, drilling and lapping apparatus for diamond dies, the

apparatus being shown in position for a drilling operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end View, partly in section, looking toward the left hand side I of Fig. l-showing particularly the abrasive in section, of g. 1 omitting in section of Fig. 1 showin the relative positions of thediamond hofder, the lapping tool and the abrasivesupplying nozzle with the apparatus positioned for a lapping operation.

It is believed that the method may be clearly understood from a description of the apparatus shown on the drawings and by means of which the method may be practiced. Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, 10 indicates an upright standard which may be suitably supported upon a bench or table (not shown) by screws 11 passing through afoot 12 of the standard. Slidably'mounted in ahead 13 of the standard 10 is a pin 14 carrying at its forward end a pair of brackets 17 and 18 adapted to be clamped in a set angular position upon the head 13 by suitable clamping means comprising a nut 19 threaded onto a rear shouldered end of the pin 14 (Fig. 4) Upon the shouldered end of the pin 14 intermediate the head 13 and nut-19 is a spacing collar 20. The" pin 14 is provided with a head 21 (Figs. 1 and 3) and it wilLreadily be apparent upon turning the nut 1-9 in a right hand direction that'the arms 17 and 18 may be clamped in a set angular position between the heads 13 and 21. The bracket 17 rotatably supports a die holder 24 while the bracket 18 rotatably supports either a drill 25 or a lapping member 26 (Fig. 6) which generally consists of a short drill. In the drilling operation the brackets 17 and 18 are positioned in a straight line as shown in Fig. 1 with the die holder 24 and drill 25 upon a common axis while in the lapping operation the lapping member 26 (Fig. 6) passes through the opening formed in the diamond indicated at 27 and is applied to the surfaces of the opening at various angles so as to thoroughly polish them and to also produce the correct angular surfaces. When it is desired to change therelative positions of the brackets, upon the pin 14, the nut 19 is first loosened upon the pin 14 and thereafter a spring pressed pin 28 (Fig. 3) reciprocably mounted in a lug 31 formed upon the bracket 17 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 to remove an engaging end 32 thereof from a depression 33 formed in the circular bearing portion of the bracket 18 whereupon the brackets 17 and 18 may be individu= ally adjusted angularly upon the pin 14 and reclamped as hereinbefore described. The pin 28 serves to lock the brackets 17 and 18 together so that they may be turned as a unit upon the pin 14 but when the brackets are out of line as they are when the a paratus is set for a lapping operation, w ierein the needle 26 is set at an angle relative to the axis of the die holder 24, it will be apparent that the engaging end 32 of the pin 28 merely rests against the periphery of the bearing portion of the bracket 18.

Suitably secured in a bearing portion 34 of the bracket 17 (Fig. 3) is a shouldered bushing 35 and reciprocably and rotatably mounted therein is a shaft 38 carrying at its right hand end (Fig. 3) and upper end (Fig. 1) the die holder 24, the diamond 27 being retained therein in any well known manner. Threaded on to the left hand end of the bushing 35 and against a lock nut 40 also threaded thereon is a spring cap 41 and threaded into the latter at its left hand end is an adjusting screw 42. A compression sprin 45 is mounted in the cap 41, a tapered end-46 of the spring resting against the end of the shaft 38 projecting from the bushing 35 and the other end of the spring resting against the screw 42. Rotation is imparted to the shaft 38 by a pulley 46 driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) by a belt indicated at 47. The pulley 46 is provided with an elongated hub 48 and within a shouldered bore 49 formed therein and fixed to the shaft 38 passin through the bore is a collar 51. The col ar 51 is secured to the shaft 38 by a set screw 53, the slotted end of which projects into a slot 54 formed in the hub 48. The right hand end face of the pulley 46 frictionally engages the periphery of a wheel 55 eccentrically mounted upon an arm 56 pivotally mounted upon the bracket 17 as indicated at 57, the wheel being secured to the arm 56 b a suitable bolt 58. One end of the arm 56 1s rovided with an arcuate slot 59 through w ich passes a clamping screw 60, an end of which is threaded into an arm 61 (Fig. 1) projecting from the bracket 17. The arm 61 carries a sleeve 62 (Fig. 3) within which the shaft 38 rotates and reciprocates in the operation of the apparatus. 'Slidably carried upon the shaft 38 at the left hand end of the hub 48 is a shouldered collar 65 and between the projecting shouldered end of the bushing 35 and the collar 65 and placed around the shaft 38 is a compression spring 66 which, it will readily be seen, continually holds the right hand end face of the pulley 46 against the wheel 55 with enough pressure to cause the rotation of the wheel 55, which due to 53 which occurs near the end of the movement of the pulley 46, the movement given the shaft being only about one thirty-second of an inch. The purpose of thismovement of the shaft will be set forth hereinafter. As clearly shown in Fig. 3 the movement of the shaft 38 toward the right is limited by the collar 51 engaging the left hand end of the sleeve 62 and the movement toward the left is resisted by the spring 45. Upon the pulley moving to the right the s ring 45 immediatel acts to move the sha t 38 and the die hol er 24 to the right, thereby bringing the diamond into contact with the drill 25 and pressing it thereagainst. The drill 25 is secured to a shaft 67 suitably journaled upon the bracket 18 by a suitable chuck indicated at 68. The shaft 67 is revolved by a pulley 69 driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) by a belt indicated at 72. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be observed that the die holder 24 is cupped as indicated at 73-with the diamond 27 orming the bottom of the cup. In the operations of drilling and lapping, as hereinbefore racticed, in some instances, the cup 73 has een periodically supplied by hand with an abrasive mixture comprising diamond dust and olive oil which acted as a cutting agent between the oppositely rotating diamond and too]. Also in some cases in order to properly center the drill in the diamond blank, it has been the practice to form a slight depression tlfierein by rotating it against a diamond c 1p.

In Fig. 1 is shown a device indicated at 74 for automatically feeding to and withdrawing from the cup 73 at predetermined and frequent intervals an abrasive mixture preferably comprising a mixture of diamond dust and alcohol. The device 74 is mounted upon a bracket 75 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) supported upon the standard 10. Reciprocab y and rotatably mounted in a sleeve 76 interal with the bracket '75 is a rod 79, the rod eing held in its set position upon the sleeve 7 6 by a thumb screw 80. Upon the forward end of the rod 79 is secured a journal 81 (Fig. 1) within the bore of which is rotatably mounted a bearing sleeve 82 suitably attached toa pulley 83 driven from a suitable source of power (not shown) bya belt 84, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.- One side face of the pulley 83 is cupped as indicated at 87 and clamped therein is a glass chamber or receptacle 88 sealed off with an air tight cover 89. By providing a glass receptacle the amount and condition of abrasive mixture contained therein may. be observed at all times. Suitable cushioning and sealing gaskets 90 and 91 are positioned between the pulley and receptacle and a support92 for the cover and rece tacle, respectively.

T e cover 89 is secured to a flange 94 portion of the under surface of the plate 92 forming the support for the {cover 89 and extending beyond theperiphery of the receptacle 88 (Fig. 2). Screws 98 serve to clamp the plate 92 to the rods 95. Hinged to the plate 92 as indicated at 99 are tworing like members 102 and 103 having clamped therebetween a diaphragm 104 composed of rubber or other suitable material-- The members 102 and 103 are held together as a unit, with the diaphragm 104 therebetween, by a plurality of screws 105. A gasket 106 is mounted in the plate 92 and against which the ring member 102 is clamped by a spring clip 107 secured to a channel shaped plate 110 in turn secured to the ring member 103 by screws 111. The free end of the clip 107 is shouldered as indicated at 112 which in its locked position as shown in Fig. 1 is sprung under the edge of the plate 92. Suitably fixed to the diaphragm 104 and in alignment with the axis of the pulley 83 is one end of a threaded stem 113 the opposite end of which passes freely through an opening 114 provided in one end of an arm 115 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 116 of which is ,dis used at'ri ht an les thereto and carries at its free end a weight 117 adjustably secured thereto by a set screw 118. Thearm 115 is pivot-ally mounted upon the channel shaped plate 110 between the flanges thereof as indicated at 121. Threaded upon the free end of the stem 113 and at each side of the arm .115 are nuts 122, the position of which upon the stem limits the: movement of the diaphragm.

Suitably secured within the bore of the bearing sleeve 82 is a tube 124 one end, 125, of which forms a nozzle which extends into the cup 73 with the opposite end thereof projecting into the receptacle 88, but still within thebore of the bearing sleeve 82, a shouldered end 126 of the latter passing through an opening provided in the wall of the receptacle. To the end 126 of the sleeve 82 within the rece tacle 88 is secured an agitator comprising our'blades 127 p0- sitioned 90 apart, two of which are illustrated in Fig. 1. The blades 127 are mounted upon a sleeve 128 fitting over the end 126 of the sleeve 82, the sleeve 128 beclamped to the sleeve 82 by a screw 129 threaded thereinto. One of the blades 127 is cup, shaped-in cross section as indicated at 130 and in, the rotation of the receptacle 88, the tube 124 and the agitator rotating therewith, some of the abrasive mixture, the level of which within the receptacle is in- 104 is actuated inwardly due to the action of the weight 117 attached to the pivotal lever comprising the arms 115 and 116 as the weight approaches the upper point of its travel with the receptacle 88, the receptacle 88 thus serving as a pump chamber. The inward movement of the diaphragm forces the abrasive mixture comprising 10 to 15 drops and which has been fed into the bore of the tube 124, through the nozzle 125 thereof and into the cup shaped portion 73 of the die holder 24 surrounding the working point of the drill 25..

The receptacle 88 continuing its rotation brings the weight 117 into the position shown in Fig. 1 which results in actuating the diaphragm 104 outwardly, the receptacle 88 thus serving as a vacuum chamber, and thereby removing, by suction, the greater portion of the mixture contained in the cup 73 and re turning it through the bore of the tube 124 and the opening 134 into the receptacle 88 where it is thoroughly mixed with the mixture contained therein due to the blades 127, as will readily be understood. lhe receptacle 88 being substantially air tight and the opening in the tube 124 being small permits the mixture which has been supplied to the diamond and drill to be withdrawn from thereceptacle 73 and returned to the receptacle 88 through the opening 134, which is at this time in the position shown in Fig. 1. It will readily be apparent that due to the use of a common predetermined path or channel for supplying a charge of the fluid abrasive to the receptacle 73 from the receptacle 88 and returning a charge thereof to the latter receptacle from the former receptacle there results a very practical and simple structure.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be observed that the bracket 75 mounting thein the top surface of the foot 12. It will be apparent that by turning the head 139, the bracket and the device 74 carried thereon may be raised or lowered to properly position the end of the nozzle 125 with respect to the cup 73 formed in the die holder 24 and thereby determining the level of the abrasive mixture after a charge has been withdrawn. In this adjustment of the device 74 the pin 135 acts merely as a guide. The bracket 75 (Fig. 4) is provided with an arcuate slot 143 in line with the center of the pin 135 and on a radius drawn from the center of the pin 136, thus upon loosening the screws 144 the bracket 75 may be turned with the screw 144 threaded into the pin 130 as its pivot. The device 74 may also be adjusted longitudinally and at different angles upon the rod 79 by loosening the thumb screw 80. These several adjustments are all for the purpose of facilitating the correct positioning of the nozzle 125 with respect to the receptacle 73, the correct positioning of which de ends u on the size of the die holder, the dc th 0 the receptacle 73 formed therein, an the diameter of the drill and other factors.

This alternate feeding of the abrasive mix ture to and removing it from the drill insures that a very active mixture is always present durin either a lapping or drilling operation, an the rotation of the agitator blades with the rece tacle 88 serves to keep the mixture in a uni orm condition. At certain intervals, depending upon the length of time it takes for a charge of the abrasive mixture in the receptacle 88 to deteriorate to a condition where it is inefficient as a cutting agent upon the diamond after repeated entrance into and withdrawal from the cup 73, it ma be removed therefrom by releasing the clip 107 and swin ing the cover 89 open about its hinge 99, w iereupon by inserting a suitable suction means or bulb the mixture may be readily withdrawn and a fresh charge supplied thereto.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: y

A die holder 24 mountin either 9. diamond to be centered, drille fixed to the shaft 38 which in the operation of the apparatus is given simultaneously a rotatable and reciprocable movement as hereinbefore described. Thereafter the reuired drill is mounted in the chuck 68.- If

he apparatus is to perform a centering or.

drilling operation the arms 17.and 18 are set upon the shaft 14 as shown in Fig. 1 and if to perform a lapping operation the may be set at an angle relative to each at er as explained hereinbefore and shownin Fig.

0. In either case the arm 17 to permit the cup 73 to hold a quantity of abrasive mixture, is set at an angle upon the vertical standard 10 and secured in a fixed position or lapped isupon the shaft 14 by turning the clamping nut 19. Thereafter the device 74 is positioned so as to bring the end of the nozzle 125 thereof into correct relation with the in side of the cup 73. As explained hereinbefore this may be done by manipulating the screw 138 for raising and lowering the device, by rotating the device bodily upon the rod 79 t0 the desired angle or moving it horizontally therealong and securing in position by tightening the thumb screw 80 and also by turning the bracket 75 about the screw 144, the slot 143 permitting this latter adjustment.

The receptacle 88 is charged preferably with an abrasive mixture of diamond dust and alcohol which is an excellent cutting agent and a mixture which is very suitable for feeding to and withdrawing from the receptacle 73 in the operation of the diaphragm 104. The pulleys 46, 69 and 83 are now caused to rotate at the desired speeds, the pulleys 46 and 69 being rotated in opposite directions. In the rotation of the receptacle 88 carrying the a itator blades 127 the abrasive mixture is t oroughly mixed and at intervals corresponding to 180 in rotation of the device,.irrespect1ve of the position of the reciprocable receptacle 73 the diaphragm 104 is alternately operated inwardly and outwardly to supply and withdraw respectively a charge of the mixture comprising 10 to 15 drops through the nozzle 125 to and from the receptacle 73 by the movement of the weight 117 downwardly as it nears the uppermost and lowermost points of its travel.

Due to the changing at predetermined and frequent intervals, of the abrasive around the diamond and drill by the device herein described, which may be accomplished many times faster than it could be by hand operation, predetermined amounts of active and uniform cutting agent are supplied with the result that centering, drilling and lapping o erations are completed in a short space of time and in an efiicient manner. Under certain conditions the die holder 24 may be revolved in one direction at a' speed of 100 revolutions per minute, while the drill is revolved in an opposite direction at a speed of from 3,000 to 4,000 revolutions per minute and the receptacle is rotated at a speed of 44 revolutions per minute, thus supplying 10 to 15 drops of the abrasive mixture to the diamond for each revolution of the re ce tacle.

hat is claimed -is:

1. The method of working articles, which consists in alternately supplying abrasive material to and withdrawin a portion of the supplied material over tlie same predetermined completely confined path, from an article being worked. a

2. The method of working articles, which consists in alternately supplying a mixture of abrasive and vaporizable materials to and withdrawing a portion of the supplied mixture over the same predetermined completely confined path from an article being worked and mixing the withdrawn portion of the mixture with a fresh supply.

3. In a mechanism for working articles, an article holder, a work tool, means for rotatin said holder'and tool relative to each ot er to cause anarticle held by the holder to be Worked, the article holder adapted to hold abrasive material adjacent the working area, a receptacle holding a supply of abra sive material, and means. for periodically transmitting material from the receptacle to the article holder and upon use returning it to the receptacle and mixing it with the supply therein, the latter means providing a common predetermined path for the transmission of the material to the holder and its return to the receptacle.

4. In a mechanism for working articles, an article holder, a Work tool, means for moving the holder and tool relative to each other to cause an article held by the holder to be worked, a receptacle holding a supply of abrasive material, means for rotating the receptacle, said receptacle adapted to direct material to the article holder and Work tool along a completely confined path, a diaphragm carried by thereceptacle, and means operated by th rotating receptacle for causing a periodic actuation of the diaphragm during the rotation of the receptacle for causing material to be transmitted from said receptacle to the work holder and tool, and to cause a portioncof the transmitted material to return over the same path to the receptacle.

5. In a mechanism for working articles, means for performing Work upon an article, a receptacle for containing fluid abrasive material, means for rotating the receptacle around an axis, a conduit having an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of the re ceptacle for directing the material therefrom to the article being worked, and means controlled by the rotating receptacle for depositing predetermined quantities of the material in the conduit at predetermined intervals, and thereafter returning a portion thereof to the receptacle through the conduit and mixing it with the supply contained in the receptacle.

6. In a mechanism for working articles, means for performing work upon an article; a receptacle for containing a supply of fluid abrasiie material, means for rotating the re ceptacle around an axis, the receptacle provided witha common egress and inlet port for the material, a diaphragm operatively connected to the receptacle, and means associated with the receptacle and diaphragm and operable in response to the action of,

gravity during the rotation of the receptacle for periodically actuating the diaphragm for causing material to be transmitted from the receptacle to the article being worked and thereafter returning a portion thereof to the receptacle through the common port.

In witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe our names this 31st day of March A. D., 1925.

FREDERICK WILLIAM COLBECK. SIGURD THRONSEN. 

